China’s tech giants are intensifying their push into car sales, but whether online platforms can fully transform how cars are bought remains uncertain.
China’s internet giants are accelerating their move into the automotive sector.
Recent developments show that JD.com, Meituan, and Alibaba’s Tmall have all launched new initiatives in car sales and related services, signaling an intensifying battle among tech platforms in the auto market.
On April 11, JD.com quietly rolled out a test page accessible via the keyword “Open Departure” on its homepage. The page reveals a joint project between JD Auto and Deepal, offering a reservation-based trial experience. The beta version is set to go live on April 13, initially limited to Jinan.
The move is widely interpreted as JD.com’s expansion from car sales into mobility services. While neither JD nor Deepal has disclosed full details, both clarified that they do not plan to enter the ride-hailing market.
Previously, JD.com partnered with GAC Aion and CATL to launch the “affordable mass-market car” Aion UT Super, which began deliveries late last year.
Meanwhile, Meituan entered the auto sector earlier this year. In January, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shanghai with a local smart mobility firm to build a one-stop platform integrating car purchasing, usage, and local services. The initiative allows consumers to browse and compare dealerships much like selecting restaurants, while completing transactions and leaving reviews online.
Currently in Shanghai, brands including Tesla, Xpeng, Zeekr, and HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility have already launched group-buy test drive offers priced at just RMB 0.01 (approximately $0.0014).
Alibaba is also advancing its “new retail” strategy in autos. Changan Automobile recently announced that it will launch a new Q05 LiDAR edition in April as the first “Tmall Selected Car,” set to debut on its official Tmall flagship store during the Beijing Auto Show.
However, “Tmall Good Cars” is not a new concept. As early as November 2020, SAIC Motor partnered with Alibaba on a new retail strategy, introducing large-scale subsidies across brands such as Volkswagen, Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac. Today, brands including Geely, Chery, and Buick operate flagship stores on Tmall, enabling users to place orders online and proceed with purchases.
That said, the boundaries of “selling cars online” remain unclear. After nearly seven years of exploration, platforms like JD.com, Meituan, and Alibaba bring clear advantages in traffic, data, payments, and local services. Yet, cars are high-value, low-frequency purchases that rely heavily on offline experience, leaving open questions about whether full online transaction loops—or entirely new business models—can truly take hold.
